Spurred by a recent spell of poor catch, traditional fishermen and trawl boat owners in central Kerala have reached what fisheries industry insiders called a “historic” agreement on a package of practices for sustainability of marine fishing operations.
The seven-point agenda on long-term sustainability and on prevention of resources destruction was arrived at in a combined meeting of leaders of both the segments of marine fisheries from Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, informally convened by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute here on Thursday.
“It is a historic moment. We are moving away from nonsense fishing practices to commonsense fishing,” said Josey Palliparambil, an independent trawl boat operator in Munambam about the outcome of the meeting on Thursday in which sparks flew over destructive fishing practices.
The meeting came to a consensus on setting up a shore-based management system under the supervision of fish landing centre-based committees comprising fishermen, traders, brokers, government officials from Fisheries Department and marine scientists.
The committees, to be set up at major fish landing centres such as Munambam, Kalamukku, Thoppumpady, Chellanam and Arthunkal, will check if juveniles are caught and sold, and report on and prevent use of banned gears.
The constitution of the committees will take place after a meeting of stakeholders to be convened by the Fisheries Department in the presence of the District Collector later this month.
The most heated exchanges at the meeting took place over allegations that juveniles were being caught in large quantities by both the segments of the fisheries operators.
'Pelagic and mini trawling too came under fire from traditional fishermen when a trawl boat owners’ representative said that pelagic trawling was given up from the last fishing season.
V.D. Majeendran, representing traditional fishermen under Paramparagatha Matsya Thozhilali Union, said the Union wanted an end to pelagic trawling and use of destructive gears.
Despite the agreement on the seven-point agenda, Mr. Majeendran said that fish workers under the Union would take out a protest march to the office of the Deputy Director, Fisheries, in Kochi on July 22 demanding an end to pelagic trawling.
Joseph Xavier Kalappurakal, general secretary of Kerala Boat Operators’ Association, expressed the willingness of boat owners to work together with traditional fishermen to save marine fisheries while also calling for studies on the cause of the serious fish depletion in waters off the Kerala coast.
The points on which the two groups of fisheries operators agreed include an end to night-time fishing; adherence to the minimum legal size of fishes set by CMFRI; use of square mesh nets for trawling; reduction in the number of fishing vessels in a phased manner and setting aside safe havens for fishes even within fishing grounds.
